Yasuharu Okuda

Dr. Okuda is the Executive Director of USF Health’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS). In this role, he has oversight of a 90,000 ft2 state of the art, advanced training facility, with the mission of creating and providing experiential learning that improves clinical skills and patient care in the community and around the globe. In addition to this role, Dr. Okuda also serves as USF Health’s Assistant Vice President of the Office of Interprofessional Education and Practice (https://health.usf.edu/ipep) focused on creating interprofessional learning opportunities from early healthcare training to clinical practice. He is Professor at the Morsani College of Medicine and practices clinically in the emergency department at Tampa General Hospital. Prior to coming to USF Health, Dr. Okuda was the national medical director for the Simulation Learning Education and Research Network (SimLEARN) where he established national strategy and business plans for simulation-based programs at more than 150 U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ medical facilities. In addition to his role as national medical director of SimLEARN, Dr. Okuda served as the acting deputy chief of patient care services officer for the Veteran’s Health Administration, where he was responsible for policy development and oversight of the national Office for Women’s Health Care, Community and Preventative Health, Social Work and Pharmacy Benefits Management. Before joining the VA, he was assistant vice president and director of the Institute for Medical Simulation and Advanced Learning for the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the largest public health system in the United States. Dr. Okuda received his Bachelor of Science degree in neuroscience from Brown University, his medical degree from New York Medical College, and his certificate in Healthcare Modeling and Simulation from the Naval Postgraduate School in California. He completed a residency in emergency medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai where he served as their chief resident, and then completed a clinical quality fellowship from the Greater New York Hospital Association. He is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and an inaugural fellow of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Academy. He has also served as a chair or member of several medical and simulation committees; and most recently serves as a board member for the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. He has co-authored numerous textbooks, peer-reviewed publications and textbook chapters. Known for his passion for teaching, innovation and business, Dr. Okuda received the 2017 Distinguished Educator Award by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Simulation Academy for the creation of the simulation-based training program SimWARSTM; was named one of the top 25 Healthcare Leaders Under 40 by Becker’s Hospital Review in 2012; was selected as one of 40 Under 40 New York’s Rising Stars in Business by Crain’s NY Business Magazine in 2011; and was awarded the 2017 Healthcare and Medicine Leader of the Year by i4 Business Magazine.